Early Cinema

Lecture 2

Basic Terms

• Frame (2 senses)– Parameters of the image– One frame of a film strip

• Still image– A photograph; each frame is a still image– Production still vs. frame enlargement

• apparent motion and critical flicker fusion– 24 frames per second (current) vs. 16-20 frames per second (in early

cinema)• Sprockets• Gauge: film width (e.g. 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, 70mm)• Aspect ratio: until 1950s= 4:3 (width to height)

gauge

sprocket

frame

Early Cinema

1895 Beginning of cinema– three precursors• Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904)—multiple cameras to

capture motion• Étienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904)—invented

chronophotography in the 1880s (recorded several phases of movement on one photographic surface)

• Thomas Edison (inventor of the first kinetoscope 1891)

– Lumière brothers—responsible for the first public film screening in Paris on December 28th 1895 using the cinematograph (which functioned as a camera, projector, and printer—all in one)

Eadweard Muybridge

Muybridge Link to UC Riverside Museum

• http://138.23.124.165/collections/permanent/object_genres/photographers/muybridge/

Étienne Jules Marey: graphic method

Étienne Jules Marey

ÉTIENNE JULES MAREY: CHRONOPHOTOGRAPHY

Muybridge’s projection device: the zoopraxiscope

The Kinetoscope (peep-show device)

Kinetoscope Functioning

Kinetoscope parlor (circa 1894)

Edison and the Black Maria(me-rai-e) Studio

Mutoscope (peep-show device)1895-1909

Mutoscope (peep-show device)-1895-1909

The Cinematographe (Lumière)

Cinematographe (cont.)

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 1:FROM THE SINGLE SHOTS TO MULTIPLE SHOTS,

FROM STILL CAMERA TO MOVING CAMERA

• Single shots– Actualities, direct address, “the fourth wall”• Ex: Lumière, Edison

• Moving camera– The “phantom” ride films• Ex: Lumière: “Leaving Jerusalem”;

– Multi-shot “phantom” ride• Ex: G.A. Smith: “The Kiss in the Tunnel”

SINGLE SHOT: LUMIÈRE 1896: CHILDREN DIGGING FOR CLAMS

SINGLE SHOT: LUMIÈRE 1896: PROMENADE OF OSTRICHES

MOVING CAMERA: PHANTOM RIDESLUMIÈRE, 1896: LEAVING JERUSALEM BY RAILWAY

MOVING CAMERA, MULTI-SHOT PHANTOM RIDE: G.A. SMITH, 1899: KISS IN THE TUNNEL

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 2:• Multi-scene films– Shot transitions

• Dissolve– Ex: Méliès: “A Trip to the Moon” 1902

• Straight cut– Ex: Williamson: “Stop, Thief!” 1901

• Vertical wipe– Ex: G.A. Smith: “Mary Jane’s Mishap”

• Pull focus– Dream transition

» Ex: G.A. Smith: “Let me Dream Again” 1900

– Scene Dissection • Cut-in, insert, masking, point of view shots

– Ex: G.A. Smith: “Granma’s Reading Glass” 1900

• Camera repositioning and cut-in/insert– Ex: G.A. Smith: “The Sick Kitten” 1903– Ex: G.A. Smith: “Mary Jane’s Mishap” 1903

MULTIPLE SCENES 1: TRANSITIONS: DISSOLVES: MÉLIÈS, 1902: FROM TRIP

TO THE MOON

MULTI-SCENE FILMS 1: TRANSITIONS: STRAIGHT CUTS: WILLIAMSON, “CHASE FILMS,” 1901: STOP

THIEF!

MULTI-SCENE FILMS 1: TRANSITIONS: VERTICAL WIPE: G.A. SMITH, “MARY JANE MISHAP,” 1903

MULTIPLE SCENES 1: TRANSITIONS: PULL FOCUS: G.A. SMITH, 1900: LET ME DREAM AGAIN

MULTI-SCENE FILMS 2: CUT-INS, MASKING, POINT-OF-VIEW [P.O.V] SHOTS:

G.A. SMITH, 1900: GRANDMA’S READING GLASS

MORE MASKING, CUT-INS, AND P.O.V. SHOTS:

G.A. SMITH: “AS SEEN THROUGH A TELESCOPE,” 1900

MORE MASKING, CUT-INS, AND P.O.V. SHOTS:PATHÉ FRÈRES, “PEEPING TOM,” 1901

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 2: CAMERA REPOSITIONING: G.A. SMITH, “THE SICK

KITTEN” 1903

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 2: CAMERA REPOSITIONING: G.A. SMITH,”MARY JANE’S MISHAP”

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 3:• Multi-scene films (cont.)– Screen direction• Ex: Méliès: “A Trip to the Moon” 1902

– Mental subjectivity (rendering interiority)• Dreaming and visions

– Set within a set» Ex: Zecca: “History of a Crime” 1901

– Photographic superimposition» Ex: Porter: “Life of an American Fireman” 1903» Ex: “Mary Jane’s Mishap” 1903

– Perceptual subjectivity (creating ‘sensual impact’)• Ex: Hepworth: “How it feels to be run over” 1900

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: SCREEN DIRECTION: MÉLIÈS, 1902

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: DREAMINGSET WITHIN A SET: “HISTORY OF A CRIME”

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: DREAMINGPHOTOGRAPHIC SUPERIMPOSITION: “LIFE OF AN AMERICAN

FIREMAN”

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: VISIONSSUPERIMPOSITION: “MARY JANE’S MISHAP”

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: PERCEPTUAL SUBJECTIVITY:HEPWORTH: “HOW IT FEELS TO BE RUN OVER”

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 4

• Multi-scene films (cont.)– Tricks• Stop motion

– Ex: Méliès: “A trip to the moon”– Ex: Hepworth: motorist

• Ex: Williamson: “The Big Swallow”

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 4: MÉLIÈS

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 4: MÉLIÈS

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 4: MÉLIÈS

FORMAL INNOVATIONS 4: TRICKS: THE BIG SWALLOW